Can 4D break through in the States?

David Konow, 12th July 2012

Well, a number of South Korean theaters are being equipped with tubes designed to blast water in your face, vents to pump in scents, and seats that rock and roll - all making the movie come to life.

A low-budget approach to 4D was tried with the last Spy Kids movie, where audiences were given scratch and sniff cards, which thankfully didn't fly.

I mean, who wants to smell a stinky diaper while watching a movie? And yes, that was actually one of the scents.

So for those of you who dislike movie gimmicks, you'll really hate a recent headline run in the L.A. Times: "4-D Movies: Next Big Thing For U.S. Theaters?"

As Richard Verrier notes, 4D is supplied to theaters in South Korea by CJ Group, and they're hoping to bring it to 200 theaters in the States. You can also see 4-D movies in Thailand and Mexico, so perhaps America will indeed be the logical next step, if only on a very limited basis.

Now if you think 3D and IMAX already costs too much, the Times tells us a 4D movie could cost you $8 or more to go see. There is also an L.A. lab for 4D, and as their COO told the Times, "Theaters need to find new ways to bring people back to the multiplex and way form their couches, and this is one way of doing that."

We at TG are very curious to see if this is initiative is going to fly, and if 4D will ever be at our local multiplex. However, we're not exactly holding our breath for this, even if it will make make a movie smell that much nicer.